Techno
by Avid Vampire Hunter
Summary: UlquiHime OneShot: It's almost Orihime's birthday, and her friends are determined to put all of the craziness behind them by going to a new club called Techno. Meanwhile, Ulquiorra has lost all memory of his past, even his name! Then there are those strange headphones...


**Author's note:** This story is dedicated to Princess Kitty1. Happy Birthday, and thank you for all that you have done, all of the late nights writing, making the realm of UlquiHime a much more impressive place. You are a popular champion, and a proper one as well. I hope that this meager gift pleases you. (And that it isn't too corny and cliché...)

Farewell, please live long and happily! :3

*hugs*

* * *

**Techno**

_Avid Vampire Hunter_

* * *

...

**September 1st - Wednesday**

...

Sunlight filtered through the shaded windows of Urahara Shoten, causing the once-invisible dust motes to shimmer. One by one, an assortment of strange candies cramped into jars were stacked neatly onto a shelf.

The man stacking them was completely... bored. What his employer commanded of him was sometimes ideal, and sometimes absolutely ludicrous. When he would stack boxes the exact way he had been ordered, his employer would smirk behind his fan and tell him to start over, and redo it a completely different way.

It was all so very tiring.

"Daisuke! Yoo hoo~! Daisuke!"

Daisuke gave one last look to his handiwork before it had to be redone, and shifted his gaze to his employer. "What?"

The young man wasn't intimidating his employer in the slightest. His knowing smirk hidden behind his yellow fan, the scraggly shop owner tilted his head downwards, obstructing the view to his eyes completely from his green and white hat, "I need you to go to the grocery store and buy Ururu a candy bar. The poor thing is suffering from candy withdraw..."

Daisuke looked behind his employer with his usual impassive gaze to see the young black-haired child convulsing on top of a lower shelf, with a red-haired boy and rather large man looming over her in grief.

Daisuke shifted his gaze back to the green-clothed man. "Perhaps you haven't realized that we are in a store that sells candy, and that you are the proprietor of said establishment. It would be purposeless to go to the store if there are bountiful amounts of candy at the reach of your own hands."

His employer pouted, causing strange lines to form around his face. It was almost unnerving. "Please, Daisuke-kun...?" he whined.

The emerald-eyed employee resisted the urge to roll his orbs to the ceiling. Just how purposeless could this pathetic excuse for a shop owner be?

And thus Daisuke walked out of the candy shop and proceeded on his way to the nearest grocery store. He slightly prided himself in his otherwise purposeless steps, because he had successfully memorized his way about the main streets of Karakura Town since his arrival from the hospital.

Urahara remained behind, watching his employee walk away down the street in his usual nonchalant way. A black cat suddenly hopped onto the shelf next to him, and a deep voice murmured, "What are you up to, Kisuke?"

Urahara tapped his fan against his chin, a happy-go-lucky grin plastered on his face, "What makes you think that I'm up to anything, my dear Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi's tail twitched. "Because there is no such thing as candy withdraw. What are you doing to Ul-"

The talking cat was interrupted by the closing _thwack _of Urahara's fan. "His name is Daisuke. Now if you will excuse me, my dear, I have some work to do, and I would appreciate no prying eyes... especially those of our precious Daisuke-kun." With that, he turned around and began to make his way to the back of the shop.

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "You can't keep his identity hidden forever. Just what exactly are you planning to do?"

The owner of the candy store turned around one last time to face his furry comrade, eyes hidden and a mirthful smile shown to the cat's yellow glare. "I believe our helpful _Daisuke-kun_ deserves a raise... that's all."

...

_**Two Months ago...**_

...

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

_Porcelain eyelids opened slowly, heavily. The pain in his eyes was unrelenting, everything was so...bright. And he didn't know what to think about it. It was almost as if he had never been in light before..._

_Before..._

_The young man resisted the urge to bolt upwards, knowing it would only cause his throbbing head more pain. Instead, he gradually shifted himself upwards and into a sitting position in the plain white sheets. With an intake of breath through his nose, he noticed that the air was sharp with antiseptics._

_Before... what before? _

_He wanted to call for something, for someone, to get him out of the reeking place and back to where he used to be, wherever it was..._

_"I can't... remember..."_

_Where was he? How did he get there? Why was he in so much __pain? It was like he had never felt pain before... but how could that make any sense...?_

_"Well, I'm glad you're finally awake. I've been waiting a few days for you to open those eyes... glad to see that I wasn't wrong in assuming who you were..."_

_A sudden sideways glance of emerald greeted the man who sat in a chair beside the bed. The stranger beside him was wearing a green garment that showed his chest, and wooden clogs. A sideways smirk was plastered on his face, and his eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his hat._

_The patient didn't move, instead he asked, "Who are you?"_

_The stranger straightened, serious. "You mean you don't recognize me? You did a pretty good job of that the last time we encountered..."_

_"You're mistaken. I do not know you, nor have I ever known you." The patient wasn't positive of this statement, but the presence of the stranger was putting him on edge. Only one word was on his mind when he looked at him: Enemy._

_After a pregnant silence, the stranger pulled out a yellow fan and tapped it against his chin. "Hmm... that's interesting..." He raised his head slightly, revealing small muddy-green eyes, "Tell me Espada, what is your name?"_

_The patient had no idea what the term 'Espada' meant, but was more troubled by another thought. What was his name?_

_For the life of him, he couldn't remember. He felt like he should, he knew he should... it was _his_ name, after all. This realization led him to another thought: Who was he?_

_Neither spoke while he thought this. He shifted his eyes to his arm resting on the blanket. It was just as white as the sheets. "I don't know."_

_Urahara leaned back in the chair, fanning himself casually. It seemed as though the Espada had lost his memories... of both the war, and of his identity. The scraggly shop owner breathed a silent sigh of relief through his nose. It also looked as though the Hollow had lost his powers as well. He couldn't detect a hint of spiritual pressure from him. Urahara smiled. He could use this._

_Standing, the stranger made his way to the door of the medical room, leaning out the door as the patient watched. "Oh Nu~urse!"_

_The white skinned amnesiac resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This stranger was ridiculous, and odd. And yet, although he felt he should, he was not fazed. His face remained as still as stone._

_The stranger returned with an overly-endowed woman in white. The patient could feel her eyes on him, but he ignored her. Chomping her mouth on something, she took her time with taking out his IV, flashing her revealing chest in his face._

Trash_._

_IV..._

_The patient was intently staring at the needle, feeling as though he should remember something... important? No, that wasn't it... it was-_

_"My name is Kisuke Urahara, humble owner of Urahara Shoten Candy Shop," the stranger bowed, taking off his green and white hat to let the blond and untamely locks of his hair bob around his face, "and you work for me. You suffered a terrible accident, and now you have Amnesia. I'm going to check you out of here, and then we can be off, and you can go back to work~!" Kisuke put his hat back on, and the patient stood as soon as his bonds were let loose. The nurses face fell in disappointment. _

_The pale patient's hospital gown swayed around him. For some reason, he was uncomfortable in such loose clothing. It should really be tighter... to ensure better movement... "What happened to me?"_

_Kisuke paused. Uh oh... he shouldn't have asked that... so, what happened to him?_

_The scraggly man shrugged, "Well... you were on your way home from working so late at Urahara Shoten, when suddenly a satellite fell from the sky and almost hit a car. The car swerved to avoid it, and hit a pole. The pole fell... then it crashed into your house. Your fridge came sailing out the door, and the door hit you in the head. So now your house is destroyed, and the government has one less satellite!"_

_The patient remained expressionless, and the nurse behind him quirked an eyebrow. "That is not possible." He replied blandly._

_Kisuke smiled dismissively, and waved his hand back and forth as he said, "Well, it happened, but that's in the past. Let's just get going now, shall we?" _

_The patient paused, then bowed respectfully to his... 'master'. He then left the room, not even noticing the nurse's hungry stare at the back of his untied hospital gown. Kisuke began to make his way out too, but the nurse grabbed his sleeve. "That's not what the doctor said happened. The man was found naked on the side of the construction site. There are no houses around there. Why did you lie?" She demanded around her stale chewing gum._

_Kisuke smiled, and after a pause, said "Sometimes the past is too painful to remember."_

...

Daisuke had finally made it to the grocery store. His breathing emitted small mists of steam in the chilly fall air. Today was the first of September, and the weather was ungodly colder than it should have been.

Walking dispassionately through the sliding doors, Daisuke strode to the nearest checkout counter. His red scarf swayed back and forth beside him, and he reached out to wrap his fingers around the first piece of candy he saw. It read 'Choco Lax 190.' Good enough. It would do the little whelp justice to disrupt his somewhat peaceful day.

Readying the money that Urahara had given him, Daisuke stood in line. There were a lot of people at the grocery store... he would have to wait a while.

Just after he released a tired sigh, Daisuke heard a whining noise a ways away, by the bakery section of the store.

"But Tatsuki... they look so gooood! Please! Just a dozen! Pretty please!? I'll pay you back! After I pay back Ishida-kun for sewing my clothes..."

"No way! The last thing you need right now is sweets! You'll be jumping around so much that when you crash you'll sleep your way through your birthday!"

Daisuke was stock still. For some reason he could not explain, his feet felt frozen to the floor. When he tried to move or look away, he couldn't. Like he didn't even have the strength to walk.

The first one who had spoken captured his vision. Her hair was a cross between blazing orange and warm cinnamon. He couldn't see much else of her from so far away, but he could make out her figure and her heart shaped face. She and another black-haired woman, presumably 'Tatsuki,' began to make their way out of his sight, the redhead trailing behind, casting one longing look back over to the doughnut display.

Daisuke felt a tightening in his chest watching her leave. _"Heart..." _he murmured.

"Excuse me, sir?" the woman at the counter asked.

Suddenly waking from his odd stupor, Daisuke looked back at the candy bar. He placed it back where he got it, and picked up a more colorful and childish one to give to the clerk.

Walking away from the grocery store, Daisuke thought back to the beautiful girl from the bakery. The thought of her face and her hair caused his chest to tighten again, more fiercely this time. Everything about her looked so soft... and so inviting. He wanted to reach out and touch her–

No. No, that wasn't right. He didn't know this woman, not even her name. She looked familiar, but that was something he was willing to push to the back of his mind. At least until his order was fulfilled.

...

**_One hour earlier..._**

...

Orihime sat alone at home, waiting for Tatsuki to knock at her door. She had gotten a call from Urahara a few days before, asking her to come to Urahara Shoten at exactly noon that day.

It was Wednesday, one of her days off from work at the bakery. Tatsuki was going to come by, and after they went to see what the helpfully odd shop owner wanted, they were going to go run errands together.

When the awaited knock came, Orihime and Tatsuki wasted no time making their way down the suburban streets of Karakura. They chatted a bit as they walked, talking about the past year and how relieved they were that the craziness had finally died down. Tatsuki knew full well about Ichigo being a soul reaper, and Orihime had filled her in on all of the details. Even though it took forever because she kept getting distracted–

"Oh, hey. We're here!"

Orihime looked up from the sidewalk to see the candy shop, but something else caught the corner of her eye.

A man with choppy black hair wearing a red scarf made his way dutifully down the street. _That was odd_, she thought, no one ever really came down this way... because it was an out-of-the-way kind of neighborhood. She suddenly felt the urge to go over and introduce herself, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why.

"Ah, Miss Inoue! Right on time!" Urahara called from the entrance of the shop.

Orihime smiled. Deciding that the stranger wasn't really something worth worrying about, she looked over at Kisuke. "Yep!"

Tatsuki put her hand on her hip, "So... are you going to tell us what you called Orihime here for or what?"

Urahara laughed. "You're funny! C'mon, I have something to show you, Inoue-san."

Orihime nodded her head, and began to follow. Tatsuki nudged her elbow. "I'm glad I came along... this guy looks suspicious."

The redhead blinked. "Urahara-san? Why would he be up to anything?"

Tatsuki shrugged. "Well... I don't know... he just looks like it. Or maybe it's the air around here. Does it feel a little heavy to you?"

Orihime giggled. "Nope."

Urahara waved them to the back of the shop. "It's right back here, Inoue-san. You can come too Arisawa-san."

The girls were led into the back room, which resembled a plus-sized cubicle. Kisuke picked something up from a desk, but Tatsuki could see him slyly move something out of sight. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Kisuke turned around, and held out shiny pink headphones.

Orihime marveled at the adorable design. It was just so cute! It was pink with a picture of a heart on each ear, and it had adorable butterfly wings sticking from the sides. Although... she had no idea what the '4' on each side was for...

"Did you make these yourself, Urahara-san!?" Orihime gaped.

Kisuke fanned himself calmly, a proud grin stretching the skin of his face almost to the point of looking inhuman. Oh wait...

The shop owner propped himself on the side of the desk, eying Orihime from underneath the shade of his hat. Tatsuki shivered. She almost wanted to punch the guy. It was kind of like dealing with Chizuru, except there was a different air about him. Like he wasn't perverse towards her friend, but simply studying her. Orihime thanked him multiple times, but the air was thick with a little more than just gracious gift giving.

It gave her the creeps.

"So, I heard that you two are going out to celebrate your birthday, Orihime-chan."

Orihime happily engaged in the seemingly small talk. "Yep!" She began to giddily count on her fingers, staring up at the ceiling as though it would help her remember, even though she had written all of the names on a list several times that day. She couldn't help it, it was an excited habit... "Tatsuki, Kurosaki-kun, Rukia, Chad, Ishida-kun, Rangiku, Asano-san, Chizuru, Kojima-san, and me! We're going to that new club that just opened up down the street. They just finished with construction a week ago."

Kisuke could feel how suffocatingly excited the girl was. She was way too childish for her own good, and her age. Even though that was what he found most adorable about her, she needed to have a thicker skin if his plan was going to work. She had shown determination before, and maybe that would be enough to help her stand up to an old enemy. He made an appreciative hum. "Well, why don't you wear these? I'm sure that it would fit right in. What's this club called?"

Orihime drummed a finger against her lip. Tatsuki took a step behind her and placed a hand protectively on her friend's shoulder. "It's called _Techno_. If you would please excuse us, we have errands to run today. It's Orihime's only day off this week."

Orihime clutched the headphones to her chest, bag sagging on her arm. "Tatsuki..."

"Oh no, don't let me keep you~!" The shop owner replied. "Go on, run your errands! And Miss Inoue..."

Orihime and Tatsuki turned around in the doorway. Kisuke continued then, smiling down at the ground. "Happy birthday."

Orihime thought nothing of it, but Tatsuki still found the air–and her friend–a little too dense for her liking. She practically shoved Orihime down the stairs as the redhead stuffed her new gift into her bag. "C'mon." she started. "We'll take the shortcut to the grocery store." Tatsuki lived in this town her whole life. Any numbnut who didn't know this easy way to the grocery store had absolutely no knowledge about Karakura.

...

**September 2nd - Thursday**

...

Repetition. Repetition.

Stocking, bagging, all for very few customers, Daisuke worked.

Only once that day was his work of stocking and restocking shelves–all while babysitting those brat children–interrupted. Just before the end of his day...

"Oh Daisuke-kuuun~!"

He sighed under his breath before turning to Urahara. "What," he pinched irritably, eyes narrowed slightly.

Kisuke was all smiles, as usual around his new little worker. In fact, it was a shame that he would have to let him go so soon... "Come to my office when you finish, please~"

Daisuke huffed his affirmation, not finding worth in saying anything. It didn't take long at all for him to start his short journey to the back of the shop. There Kisuke leaned against his desk, waiting with something in his hands.

Something metal.

"Daisuke," Urahara began, surprising the summoned worker with his seriousness, "Do you have any plans tomorrow night?"

Daisuke didn't like the sound of that. "No."

"Good," Kisuke chuckled. He turned around and ruffled about in the desk, pulling something out that glinted in the light. Kisuke turned around to face the employee again, and with a flourish, held out some metallic toy.

_Headphones, _Daisuke thought.

He took the headphones impassively and analyzed them. They were cool in his hand, a sharp green bouncing light off the shiny metal surface. There were pictures on the ear cuffs, a heart and a small representation of the hibiscus flower on each side.

"I have a job for you," Kisuke continued, "And unless you do it, you _will_ be fired, and your homing privileges revoked."

That didn't sound good. Daisuke wasn't too fond of the idea of living homeless on the streets of Karakura. "What do I have to do?"

Kisuke smiled. "There's a new club in town, and I want you to go! You've been working so hard here, and you deserve a break..." He fiddled with the brim of his fan. "...The name of the club is called _Techno._" From inside his shirt, Kisuke pulled out a thick slip of paper and held it out. Daisuke didn't take it, eyeing him suspiciously. "Tomorrow night. Bring the headphones with you."

This sounded like a hostage negotiation. And Daisuke was the hostage.

He took the ticket from Kisuke's hand.

"You can go home now. And by home I mean upstairs."

Without a word, Daisuke turned around, the cord of the headphones clanking irritably against the surface of the headphones, and walked out.

As he did so, he could hear Kisuke call out one last time. "And wear the headphones. I'll know if you don't, and I'll fire you~!"

...

_**A few hours later...**_

...

Orihime laid on the floor by her low-sitting table, her head on the pillow seat. She held her headphones up above her, arms sticking straight out. She watched the shadows play across the smooth metal and pink finish.

She stared intently at the pictures on the sides. The hearts were cute, but why the number?

A huff poofed out of her nose, and she gave up, holding them to her chest and staring at the white ceiling.

Tomorrow she would be another year older.

She would go dancing with her friends. She would laugh. She would smile. She would... she would...

Orihime's eyes drooped, beginning to shut.

Her thumb caressed unconsciously against the band of the headphones. And in her sleepiest moment, she decided to wear them the next day.

She fell asleep and dreamed of red scarves and green headphones.

...

**September 3rd - Friday**

...

The wind was brisk and the sun bright when Daisuke was within hearing distance of the dance club known as _Techno_.

The walls practically throbbed with the music from inside. When Daisuke reached the cliché bouncer wearing sunglasses, he simply held up his ticket and walked inside.

He wore his usual scarf, an interesting piece of fabric that had caught his eye two months earlier. He didn't know why he liked it so much, but it proved useful for keeping him warm in the chilly months.

Once inside, Daisuke remembered what his boss had told him to do. Taking the headphones from inside his coat, he set them around his neck.

There were crowds of people there already, though not as much as there would be when the sun went down in roughly an hour. He looked around with his snakelike eyes, sweeping the area of the dance floor. There were a few seats at the juice bar, and he went over to sit on the stool.

He ordered a simple drink, and made himself comfortable for this long night.

...

**_After Sunset..._**

...

A big group of Karakura High School seniors made their way to the new dance club, chattering happily and laughing their way down the street. Orihime was in the middle of this group, fiddling with her new "toy."

"Wow, Inoue-san, where did you get that?" Uryu inquired, nodding toward her headphones.

"Hmm? Oh, this? Ehheh..." she rubbed the back of her head self-consciously, "Urahara-san gave it to me as a birthday present!"

"It's really neat," Keigo butted in. "Too bad it's pink..."

"Don't you dare make fun of precious Orihime's taste in color! It's beautiful~" Chizuru fluttered.

"Hey, it seems to look very well made," Mizuiro chimed.

"Yeah, it's nice," said Chad.

Ichigo looked away from his bickering with Rukia to see what all of the commotion was about. At first, all he saw was Orihime surrounded by their friends. Nothing suspicious. Tatsuki, of course, was busy planting her foot in Chizuru's face.

Then he noticed.

They seemed like normal headphones, but on each earmuff...

"Hey, Inoue,"

"Hm? Oh, Kurosaki-kun! What is it?" She smiled.

"What is that?" He leaned over and pointed at her headphones.

"They're headphones, idiot," Rukia mumbled.

Orihime blushed. "Um, yeah. A gift from Urahara-san..."

"Urahara made that!?" Ichigo looked so surprised, causing Orihime to flinch. What was going on with him?

What the problem was with Ichigo had nothing to do with the headphones themselves, but the number staring him boldly in the face.

'4'.

The same gothic resonance, a beyond eerie omen.

"Hey, the lines moving~" Rangiku flared. "Let's get this party _started!_"

...

Daisuke leaned against the back wall. The dancing had become... too flamboyant. Even the seats at the juice bar were too close to avoid the dancers.

It was dark. And loud. And so very irritating. But Daisuke figured that it was easier to go through a few hours of _this _than work overtime at Urahara Shoten. Whatever prompted him to work late the night of his accident, he had no idea.

For some reason, his senses were more heightened. He could feel the thrum of the music against his back, on the floor, vibrating his skull. Every shape in the darkness was sharp and crystal clear, as though he had lived his whole life this way; in darkness and chaos.

So when the door opened he had no trouble seeing her.

...

The music was loud, pounding in their ears. Orihime looked around curiously, a mixture of excitement and anxiety clear on her face.

Rangiku seemed to have no trouble adjusting. She started for the juice bar, everyone accompanying her, "Awe," she said, "the don't have any sake..."

Orihime raised a finger. "Rangiku, this place is for teenagers. It's illegal to sell alcohol."

"Really? Oh..." she pouted.

"Let's just go dance or whatever," Tatsuki suggested, seeming rather aggravated. As she said this, a peppy song with a powerful baseline came on the speakers.

"OMYGOSH I LOVE THIS SONG!" squealed Chizuru. "LET'S GO!"

Meanwhile, Orihime took her headphones and put them over her ears. Urahara had done a really lovely job with them, in her opinion. She could hear everything around her, in fact, everything seemed a little clearer. She felt a light shiver trace down her side and shuddered. No one else noticed this, so she didn't feel the need to talk about it. Chizuru grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the crowd of dancing teenagers. Then she forgot all about it.

Rukia, standing between Ichigo and Keigo, suddenly straightened, eyes focused and ears pricked. Ichigo noticed and looked down at her. "Rukia... you okay...?"

Her eyes became bright and wide as words started in the song. She muttered something he couldn't hear. "What?" He leaned down so that his face was next to hers. He was suddenly cautious of her strange, cat-like expression. "Rukia–"

"CARAMELLDANSEN!" She leaped away and into the crowd, soaring over their heads until she was out of sight.

Ichigo's face went dark and a bead of sweat cartoonishly formed on his face. "What the hell...?"

...

Daisuke had no desire to remain at the juice bar. Too many people were coming in for his liking. Simply placing his payment for his drink at the table, he stood and walked towards the back of the club.

He found a nice, dark shadow to stand in. Daisuke took the headphones and put them over his ears, hoping to drown out the music. It didn't work. In fact, it muffled nothing.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, crossing his arms. He was determined not to be fired, but all the same, he deeply considered leaving.

Daisuke briefly thought back to that girl. She was in the club. It surprised him. He hadn't forgotten about her, in fact it was the opposite. And now that she was nearby, it made his usually composed mind writhe.

Was it coincidence? It was strange that one person would stand out to him more than anyone else. He was around people all the time. They often annoyed him. She should've been the same way, yet she interested him. Why? He didn't know her at all.

He opened his eyes and stared out into the crowd. He could see her, in the middle of all the madness. She stood out so much, it was disconcerting that his eyes seemed to magnetize back to her again. And again.

He decided then that it would be best to forget about her.

...

Orihime took her position beside Rukia, lifting her hands up to her head and shaking her hips from side to side. She smiled happily. She could've done that all night. It was uplifting, and she enjoyed every second. The beat seemed to move her on its own, and she seemed happy to just let it continue.

But as the song came to an end Orihime panted, but she still smiled. When she stood up straight, she felt a tugging in the back of her mind, like little hands pulling ever so slightly on the ends of her hair.

She turned around, eyes curious for a reason mysterious to her. Orihime suddenly lost all breath at what she saw.

That familiar shape, those intense eyes. Skin pale in the darkness and flashing lights.

All of the sound became white noise, drowning out in silence. For just one second, Orihime would've sworn that she had left her body. She felt light-headed, and her feet began to move on her own. Where there people in the way? Or did they part like the Red Sea? She didn't know, because she wasn't paying attention.

Her shallowed as her footsteps became hesitant. What was she doing? She had to be imagining things... it had been nearly two years since she'd seen that face, or even dared to think of his name. But now, an exhilaration filled her to see if he _was _real. Perhaps she could do the one thing that plagued her mind after he'd died.

...

"Um... excuse me...?"

Daisuke was beyond aggravated. He just wanted to be left in peace. It was bad enough that the girl from the store had shown up. She had ruined any possibility of him having a bearable night.

Sighing, he turned to face who'd spoken to him, when a strike of blazing orange caught the entirety of his attention. "You..." he said unconsciously.

Orihime blushed. It had to be him! His voice was exactly the same! Those eyes the same penetrating shade of green, and hair falling in his face, and that scowl was there too! He looked so... human. She found herself smiling as she said. "It's me. Orihime." Her face darkened. Orihime wanted to smack herself upside the head. What kind of greeting was that? After all this time, that was the best she could say...? She hated that she was being flustered. Where was her 'You Idiot' sweatshirt when she deserved it?

Manners suddenly seemed to manifest in him. He nodded towards her. "Daisuke," he said simply. There. Maybe now she would go away. But a small voice in his mind wanted her to stay, and it panged against his ears.

Orihime's confidence became a shriveled raisin. "Oh," she muttered. So it wasn't him... She looked down at her hands, which were wringing together nervously. What had she been hoping for, anyway? That a man who'd died right in front of her eyes–a man she'd once tried so hard to hate–was alive and in Karakura? A thought came to her when she reveled on it. If it were really..._ him_, then it could've been so dangerous for everyone. She felt guilty at the thought. Why wouldn't she want him to live?

Daisuke watched her curiously. She'd seemed so brave earlier. No one had even come close to him before, much less talked to him. But then he noticed something on her head.

Without any reserve at all, he reached up and placed a hand on her headphones, right above the crown of her head. "Where did you get these?"

Orihime looked up, startled. When he looked down at her, his eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Her heart quivered. How could it not be him? No one had ever made her feel so anxious before. Not even Aizen.

"I asked you a question."

Orihime blubbered, "From a friend..."

Daisuke took his hand away, letting it fall limply to his side. Orihime let go of the breath she'd been holding and stared at his hand. Her memory flashed back to that night in Hueco Mundo, the night that her hope had nearly disappeared forever. And now here it was, growing into something so bright.

"Can I... ask you for a favor...?"

Daisuke looked down at the ridiculous girl. Her eyes were cast down, not meeting his at all. Perhaps he'd been wrong about her bravery. This... _Orihime_, was getting on his nerves.

Perhaps if he granted her request she would leave. "What?"

Orihime looked up at him hopefully. This wasn't him. He would never come back again. She had to accept this fact. But, she still had something she needed to do. "Could you... hold out your hand...? Please...?" Her voice shook a little.

Daisuke sighed, yet held his hand out for her inspection. He watched interestedly as she lifted her small hand. She used her fingers to flip his hand upside-down, so that his palm was facing the ground and his fingers hung suspended.

Orihime took a deep breath, and stared at this stranger's hand. Slowly, and very shyly, she placed her fingers to his. She'd only meant to do this simple thing, but someone bumped into her from behind and sent her body tumbling forward.

Her fingers entwined with his as she collided with him against the wall.

A loud _pop_ exploded in their ears.

Daisuke jolted as a strange feeling assaulted the side of his head. Liquid shot into his ear, and he visibly reacted. He tried to raise his hand to take off the headphones–undeniably the source of the annoyance–but his body didn't move.

Darkness began to creep in the corners of his vision, and he groaned as pain shot up his arms and legs. The next thing he new, pictures were shooting into his mind at a rapid pace. So much information at once boggled him into a state of further paralysis. And then he slumped against the wall.

Orihime stuttered in utter mortification. "I-I'm s-so s-sorry! Please, I-" She back away as quickly as possible, her face beet-red and a bead of sweat tracing down from her temple. She felt so embarrassed. The trembling teenager looked down at their still entwined hands. "I'm sorry Daisuke! I'll just go–" She tried to pull her hand away, but fingers clenched hers still.

"Daisuke?" she asked.

He didn't answer her at first, his head was bent low towards the floor. She'd sworn she heard him say something, but he couldn't be heard above the music. "What?"

_"It's Ulquiorra."_

He looked up slowly, raven hair falling away from his face. His eyes instantly found hers, making her gasp. They were piercing and dark, heavy with something she couldn't understand.

Ulquiorra clenched her hand. Everything suddenly made sense. He could remember everything, her fright when he'd captured her, her resistance when he'd tried to make her see her situation through his eyes... and at last, her reaching back for him.

He'd wanted to tell her that he'd understood, but there hadn't been enough time.

Now there was.

Orihime only stared at him as he rose to his full hight, eerily straight. Her breath hitched. "Is it- really you? Ulquiorra...?"

"Obviously." Ulquiorra said. It wasn't cruel, but his tone was very much reminiscent of when he'd told her not to get overreactive; two years ago. She smiled a little. He still looked human, not like a Hollow at all.

"H-how? You told me your name was-"

"It was a false name." He looked annoyed, but he lifted their entwined hands to peer at them. Curiosity lightened his eyes. "Interesting..."

Orihime blushed. "So you knew the whole time?"

"No," he answered immediately, "I was told my name was Daisuke. It was obviously a lie by Urahara Kisuke."

"Mr. Urahara!?" Orihime blanched. "Oh boy..."

Ulquiorra looked back at her, eyes scanning her face. "You're older."

Orihime smiled. "Obviously~"

He studied her. He'd never seen such a boisterous side to her. "Human lives are so short. I only regenerated recently..."

"But, it's been years..."

Ulquiorra didn't respond, but didn't let go of her hand. It was a curious sensation. He'd once had a hierro, one of the strongest among the Espada, but her soft skin made his feel like fire and ice battering from every side. Yet there was no physical damage... he found her fascinating.

Her voice brought him back to attention. "Then... how did you remember your name...?"

He took his other hand from his pocket and took her headphones right from her head. She didn't protest much, just the regular gasp. Ulquiorra held it out for her observation. "Urahara Kisuke."

"Oh..." she said. Perhaps Kisuke Urahara had known all along that Ulquiorra was alive. Kisuke had been the one to bring back Ulquiorra's memories! And apparently, the headphones were the source.

"These devices were made with currents of reishi," he motioned to his own, still around his ears. He took it off as well, and held both sets in one hand. Orihime didn't remember that their hands were still together. "One positive and one negative, much like human electricity," he continued, "Apparently, however, they needed a conductor with spiritual pressure powerful enough. Physical contact between the positive and negative holders introduced a reaction."

"So..." Orihime looked at the headphones, shining side by side. "It's like memory magnets."

Ulquiorra had no idea what she was talking about. He didn't respond.

Orihime looked up at him, eyes shining brightly in the darkness. "What are you going to do now?"

Ulquiorra noticed the hopeful glint in her eyes, so opposite to his own. He let her hand go, and touched her cheek. He'd always thought that it looked soft. He wasn't wrong.

His answer was simple, and honest. "I don't know."

Orihime's heart fluttered terribly. But she managed a shy smile, and held out her hand to him once more. He stared at it thoughtfully.

"You could come with me," She said quietly. He almost didn't hear her.

Ulquiorra watched her for only a moment before allowing her to take his hand in hers. He'd already become used to the feeling, and he didn't mind it at all. He watched her hold on to his hand and drag him away, transfixed on her happy steps. The headphones fell to his side.

_Very well, Orihime Inoue, _he thought, walking into the darkness with her.

...

Kisuke Urahara stood outside Urahara Shoten, watching the clouds breeze over the moon. It was a cool, quiet night, and he thought fondly of the fall weather. He yawned, closing his fan.

"So," a voice purred behind him, "what did you do with _Daisuke_?"

Yoruichi flounced out and onto the deck beside Kisuke, looking down on the hatless shop owner dangling his feet over the edge. Her black outfit made her body shiny in the dark. Her eyes looked down playfully, accommodating her cat-like grin.

Kisuke chuckled. "You can call him Ulquiorra now."

"Ah," she sat down next to him, leaning back on her arms. "The Espada."

"Not anymore."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" She asked the questions casually, but it was obvious that she really wanted to know what Kisuke meant by his words.

Kisuke took off his hat and rubbed between his eyes. He smiled as he said, "He's human. No more spiritual pressure. Looks like he's stuck here for a while."

"With Orihime."

Kisuke sent her a sidelong glance. "Yes, with Orihime."

"Why?" She sat up, leaning over her knees.

Kisuke shrugged. "Miss Inoue can handle a lot of things. I'm sure that an adjusting Hollow-turned-human shouldn't be too difficult."

"What if he hurts her?"

Kisuke stood up, taking his hat with him. His eyes were serious. "I doubt that would happen." He smiled at Yoruichi. "He's been good so far."

"So this was his 'raise'?" She stood up too, arms crossed.

Kisuke flounced back into the Candy Shop. "Yep~!"

Yoruichi watched him close the door. She growled, and turned away. "Sadistic bastard..."

...

_**The End**_


End file.
